The strangest finds at the bottom of the ocean

13 unexpected discoveries under the sea

The ocean is a vast unexplored territory that is still waiting to be discovered. We may stumble across old shipwrecks, treasure or even learn something new about marine life.

Some of the strangest discoveries in the ocean below make us feel like we've been transported to another world.

1. Shipwreck. 3 times

In 1863, the submarine HL Hunley set sail in the midst of the American Civil War to begin its maiden voyage under the sea.

The mission of the crew of this Confederate navy ship was to end the Union blockade of Charleston port. However, the ship sank on the first attempt to perform the mission and this is not the only time it has encountered this situation.

Painting of the HL Hunley in 1864 by artist Conrad Wise Chapman.

Three attempts were made to salvage HL Hunley from the seabed. The salvage team believes the ship sank for the first time because it got caught in the ropes and was pulled under.

After the repair was completed, the submarine Hunley went to sea again, but one of the crew members failed to close an important valve, causing the whole ship to be flooded and sink for a second time.

The HL Hunley was recovered again, repaired, and sent on another mission in 1874. But shortly after she sank the Union ship USS Houseatonic, Hunley suffered the same fate. part for unknown reasons. No one knows what led to Hunley's third disappearance in 1874.

Submarine HL Hunley after being salvaged.

Researchers learn about HL Hunley based on its remains.

It was not until 131 years later, in 1995, that the Hunley was found in the deep ocean, but what was left was rusted and broken. The salvage work faced many difficulties, so it was not until 2000 that researchers successfully recovered and began to learn.

But given the extent of the damage to the hull, experts fear some of the crew's belongings and equipment are still on the ocean floor. They explored the ship carefully in hopes of finding some priceless artifacts inside.

2. Sea Toad

There are all kinds of interesting ocean creatures swimming on the ocean floor and this red creature is one of them. It is a species of sea toad and can be found at a depth of approximately 2,463 m on the bottom of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

Outwardly covered with small spikes, sea toads have two interesting features that make them unique.

Sea toads will wave their bioluminescent dorsal fins to lure other fish into their mouths. Their prey is so fascinated by the light that they do not realize they are entering the door of death.

Another feature is that they can lean one pectoral fin against the rock and the other against the sand, making it look almost like it's standing.

3. Vasa battleship and 20-minute mission

On August 10, 1628, the Swedish warship Vasa set sail. This 69-meter-long ship is armed with 64 heavy cannons making it quite a powerful warship. But its maiden voyage did not last long. The main reason is its too large size.

Less than 20 minutes after leaving the dock, a strong wind knocked the Vasa aside. Unfortunately, the ship's heavy cannons and sheer size and the overall weight of the 250 crew members on board at the time caused the ship to sink to a depth of about 32 meters.

The Vasa battleship is on display at the museum in Stockholm, Sweden.

Centuries later, archaeologists found parts of the ship's hull as well as 40,000 artifacts from the wreckage. Explorers spent three decades cataloging various artifacts.

In 1990, the Vasa museum in Stockholm (Sweden) displayed the historic ship in all its splendor for everyone to admire. Despite Vasa's short journey, Sweden still considers this an important achievement.

4. Sharks. jumping water

The basking shark is a plankton-eating shark with a conical nose and large gill slits. They are about 7-8 m long but can sometimes grow up to 11 m, males are usually larger than females.

Sun-dried shark.

They are considered the second largest shark on the planet. But that's not the only reason divers want to avoid hitting them at all costs.

The teeth of basking sharks are very small, only about 4 mm long, but they have a lot of teeth, 1,200 teeth to be exact! However, what makes this creature even more terrifying is that they can completely jump out of the water and grab their prey or drag them to the bottom of the ocean.

In general, this fish likes to swim in the sea alone. But researchers have discovered that they can also swim with 100 of their own!

5. Mid-Atlantic Mountains

Mid-Atlantic ridge location.

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) is a mid-oceanic ridge that runs along the North-South axis of the Atlantic Ocean floor and is considered the longest mountain range on the planet.

The researchers discovered that it was formed by divergent movements between the North American, South American, African and Eurasian continental tectonic plates since ancient times.

6. Fire Jellyfish

The fire jellyfish is shaped like a warship.

Dead fire jellyfish can still transmit poison to humans, causing swelling and itching.

Fire jellyfish is also known as "Portuguese Man O' War" (roughly translated "Portuguese warship"). They got their name because they resembled an eighteenth-century warship at sea. This creature is commonly found in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

The toxin from this jellyfish causes pain to the victim. In Australia alone, about 10,000 cases of jellyfish stings are reported every summer.

Even when dead, fire jellyfish can still cause pain to seafarers who accidentally step on their drifting corpses. Those unfortunate victims can experience swelling that lasts up to 3 days. Fortunately, this bump is rarely fatal.

7. Tube Jellyfish Marrus Orthocanna

The tube jellyfish Marrus Orthocanna.

Marrus orthocanna is a species of tube jellyfish commonly found in cold waters such as the North Atlantic, Pacific Northwest, and Arctic Oceans.

Marrus orthocanna behaves like bees and they also work together for the benefit of the common "territory".

Their main purpose is to find food to survive. Whenever they detect crustaceans like mysid shrimp, molluscs, etc., they will expand their tentacles and capture their prey.

8. Antikythera Machine

In 1900, Captain Dimitrios Kontos and a team of divers found the wreckage of an ancient ship off the Greek island of Antikythera. That same year, they helped the Royal Hellenic Navy recover artifacts from the shipwreck.

The Antikythera machine unearthed.

Among the items recovered were coins, jewelry, glassware, pottery and bronze and marble statues. The most interesting discovery, however, was the Antikythera machine.

The Antikythera machine is said to be the first analog computer invented by man and is a priceless artifact. In fact, historians believe that the ship carrying the device crashed while traveling from the Greek island of Rhodes to Rome.

The items recovered from the wreck are currently kept at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens - Greece.

In addition to being the first analog computer, the device is also an astronomical instrument used for calculations and can display data about astronomical phenomena.

Tools made of bronze and wood, operated by hand, allowed the ancient Greeks to predict lunar eclipses, chart the different phases of the moon, and keep track of the seasons of the year. Unfortunately, the museum only has about a third of the pieces that make up this machine.

9. Goblin shark

A goblin shark with a long pointed snout.

Goblin sharks are known as "living fossils" because they date back 125 million years. Since this type of shark was first discovered in 1897, humans have only seen about 50 of them.

The goblin shark's snout contains sensory organs that function as electrical receptors. This feature allows the shark to detect the electric field of its prey so it can quickly locate and chase its meal, and also helps it know the size of the prey. So the shark will know in advance whether it is necessary to fight or just open its mouth and swallow its prey.

10. Astrological fish (Stargazer)

Astrological fish (Stargazer).

The Stargazer is considered the most "casual" fish for a number of reasons. It discharges a debilitating electrical current to its prey using its eye muscles. But that's not the only reason you'd want to stay away from Stargazer.

Astrological fish are very poisonous. They have two extremely large spines on the back of their eyelids and a pair of fins that can sting their prey.

Fortunately, their venom is not strong enough to kill people, but it can temporarily paralyze them. Astrological fish use camouflage and venom to paralyze other fish to eat.

11. Giant squid

Giant squid.

This squid lives at a depth of about 1,829 m above sea level. No fisherman has ever caught them alive and the reason may lie in their unique natural defense system.

These giant squid are very difficult to catch. Whenever they sense danger, they will release a stream of luminescent ink that blinds the enemy long enough to escape. In some cases, they will use this momentary embarrassment to their advantage to attack with two tentacles twice the size of their bodies.

Ironically, giant squid don't last long in this world as they have a lifespan of less than 3 years.

12. Monkfish

Monk fish on the ocean floor.

The head is thorny and concave.

The strangest thing about this fish is its concave head that looks like someone stepped on them. They are usually found at depths of about 914 m in the ocean, preferring to spend most of their time in the mud or sand on the ocean floor in order to be able to prey on creatures smaller than themselves.

That may be why it is often confused with a species of shark known as the angel shark even though they are not the same species at all.

There are 7 different types of monk fish spread throughout the Arctic, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. To date, the largest one found is about 150 centimeters long.

13. Blue Spotted Octopus

This tiny octopus is as poisonous as a puffer fish.

The blue-spotted octopus is thought to be the only octopus with a toxin strong enough to kill an adult human.

In 1929, British zoologist Guy Coburn Robson discovered these creatures turned bright yellow and their spots flashed bright blue for a third of a second after they perceived a threat.

In some cases, the rings will flash blue to warn other nearby creatures to back off.

Blue-spotted octopuses produce tetrodotoxin, a neurotoxin found in puffer fish. Just 1 milligram can kill a person. Even so, they rarely bite humans unless they feel threatened.